Drifty's Snowball Soup

And to think we'd never had snowball soup until today.  It sure is good, especially when cooked up by Drifty the Snowman himself.  Continuing one of our favorite Christmas traditions again this year, we went to see the latest Paul Deiss play at Swift Creek Mill Theatre with our friends "Miss" Dawn and Nathan.  This was our fourth year, hard to believe.

Gosh, I hope Sam doesn't outgrow them for a long time because I don't think I ever will.   At least now he can continue to be my cover.  You see,  I can make it seem as if I'm only going for his benefit, the whole dedicated mother schtick, but I absolutely love these plays just as much as he does, possibly more.

Paul Deiss has been writing these Christmas plays every year for the past 19 years.  Each play has the same lovably crazy characters involved and places them in a different madcap adventures.  The backdrop is always at the Claus' house up at the North Pole in the hubbub right before Christmas.  Just seeing the sweet set when we walk in every year makes me smile.  And unlike a Disney movie, nobody's mother dies.  How refreshing!

There's Cowboy Jim, Pepita the Elf, Drifty the Snowman, Mrs. Claus, and usually some sort of late appearance by Santa Claus, sometimes even by chimney!  (He's busy after all this time of year!)  Somehow the sweetly air-headed Drifty manages to steal the show with his silly antics, so silly that even the kids are laughing uproariously at how silly he is.  Drfity has some problems getting the drift, so to speak.  And there is plenty of adult-laced humor woven into the story to keep the parents cackling just as loudly.

We've absolutely loved every year, but today's may have been our all-time favorite.  Then again we do say that every year.  There was a hilarious guest star, the ever-perky Darla Bean from the "Cooking With Darla Bean, Starring Darla Bean Show," a hilarious spoof on Paula Deen's Southern cooking persona.  Mrs. Claus had won a spot on her show to make her famous gingerbread cookies, and Darla came up North to film it.  Lo and behold Mrs. Claus got sick, and Drifty drafted herself to fill the void by whipping up her personal favorite, snowball soup.

It was only at the end that there was the big reveal -- Drfity's snowball soup consists of melted snow and nothing else.  In true Drifty fashion, no one really cared because of her nutty antics.  She has a gift for cracking herself up!  Sorry to spoil the ending, but alas it was the last day today. We've got to wait a whole year for another adventure.

In the meantime we'll be listening to our "Christmas With Drifty" CD.  Hopefully we'll get some snow this year so we can try out Drifty's recipe, strictly following the directions of course.


LibbY